Still stand by my word not to contest next assembly polls: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah Tuesday termed the growing clamour within his party to make him chief minister once again as an expression of supporters' "affection", but said he still stands by his word about not contesting the next assembly polls.
The Congress Legislature party Leader said he saw nothing wrong in the demand being made by his supporters.
"I have made it very very clear that the chief minister's post is not vacant now (hence no question about me becoming CM). What our people are saying is, after next election I should become chief minister once again," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he said, "Is there anything that I should not become (Chief Minister) if people give their blessings? Where is that I should not become, if people bless our party?"
"Have they (supporters) said I should become now? In the 2023 election if people bless Congress, Siddaramaiah may become chief minister - this is what they are saying. What is wrong in that?" he asked.
However, Siddaramaiah said, he stands by his earlier word, not to contest the next assembly polls.
"I have said, I will not contest next election, but is there anything that they (supporters) should also say what I have said, they are expressing their opinion.
"I have expressed my opinion that I will not contest next election, even today I will abide by it," he said.
Siddaramaiah noted that when people at meetings demand that he should become CM once again, he responds by saying, "if people bless let us see".
"What is wrong in responding like that to a particular situation,?" he asked. He also blamed the media for making it a big issue and said, "Where have I said, I will become CM?"
Ahead of the May 2018 assembly polls, Siddaramaiah had said it could "most likely" be his last election.
Earlier, during the 2013 assembly polls too, Siddaramaiah had said that it was his last election and went on to become chief minister after the polls.
For the last few days there has been a growing clamour among Congress legislators to make Siddaramaiah CM once again, which has irked JD(S) leaders and the incumbent Chief Minister of the coalition government H D Kumaraswamy.
The issue also had led to a bitter public spat between Siddaramaiah, and his bete noire and JD(S) state President A H Vishwanath.
He said state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa was "dreaming" about forming the government and becoming chief minister has become a "laughing stock" in the eyes of the people.
"He has been saying this from the day one. He did become the chief minister with 104 MLAs as the single largest party, but had to resign in three days, unable to prove the majority.
He should be ashamed about repeatedly claiming that he will become the chief minister? If he had said it once people might have taken it seriously, but repeatedly saying it, no one will believe him," he said.
Yeddyurappa had recently claimed that there is an "atmosphere" for the BJP to form government in the state, and had said longevity of the coalition government would depend on the stand taken by about 20 "disgruntled" Congress legislators after Lok Sabha poll results.
On his spat with JD(S) state President Vishwanth, Siddaramaiah said, "I have already said what I had to on the issue, I don't want to discuss it publicly again.
"I will discuss it in the coordination committee meeting, there ends the matter." Growing differences between alliance partners has resulted in a public spat between leaders of the two parties in the past few days.
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
